Badminton for Life Articles

March Madness is huge in North Carolina but for Badminton fans, the fun is year round. Whether you’re a Carolina or Duke basketball fan (go Blue Devils!) you can still find time to pop in on Tuesdays and Thursdays for a great match on the court. We only have two courts but play is continuous and switching out is considerate of player’s abilities and wait time. BTW, if you get information about competitions, e-mail to me so that I can post here for everyone to see! Thanks!

Johnnie Ho sent members a couple articles from Badminton for Life – check ’em out. Each article is by a different noted expert in the sport of Badminton.

Especially clarifying (even though it’s probably been said a hundred times, seeing it in print helps) was the article on

Mixed Doubles:
In the classic mixed formation, the woman stays in front of the man, playing along and just behind the short service line, while the man retrieves shots hit to his half-court or back court. In mixed it is even more imperative not to lift, since the woman is so close at the net and vulnerable to smashes. Classic mixed is a slower game with more finesse than in regular doubles, the better to bring both partners into the rally. Again, each team is trying to hit shots that make the other team lift. Avoid shots that your opponents can meet above the tape, unless you manage to get the shot behind the striker.

If you do lift, the woman should not stay at the T and duck, but run away cross-court from where the shuttle is on the other side and take a position about 2-3 feet behind the short service line, squatting down and keeping the racket head up. She is only responsible for smashes and drops directed at her; the man gets everything else, including the down-the-line drop.

Since you are playing in an up-and-back formation, hitting cross-court is risky since you are vulnerable to a down-the-line return. Hit cross-court only if both opponents are on the same side of their court as the shuttle is on your side, or if you know you can hit a winner through the opposing woman.